The State Chamber of Oklahoma announced today its list of legislation identified as “Job Killers” for the 2020 Legislative Session, including an overly broad bill that threatens trade secrets, intellectual property rights and proprietary information.

“These bills, in their current form, will do exactly what we say: kill jobs in Oklahoma,” said Chad Warmington, State Chamber President and CEO. “Oklahoma’s business leaders need to know that these bills threaten their ability as a business to thrive.”

OKJobKillers.com lists nearly 40 pieces of pending legislation that would roll back successful programs or reforms, impose costly mandates and expand government red tape. The State Chamber’s government affairs team has identified three bills that are particularly concerning to the business community: House Bill 3724, House Bill 2866 and House Bill 3773.

House Bill 3724 has been identified by State Chamber staff as an attempt to violate intellectual property rights, undermine innovation and create more government bureaucracy. This overly broad legislation could force companies to disclose proprietary information and even creates a pathway for the state to override and invalidate trade secrets held by businesses.

A growing coalition of businesses across industries is opposing House Bill 3724 and urging that it should not be heard in committee before the deadline on February 27.

In addition, House Bill 2866 will impose costly mandates on Oklahoma job creators, particularly on small businesses across the state. The bill contains numerous provisions that will force Oklahoma to exceed federal employment requirements, creating more red tape and regulations on minimum wage and employment classification.

Finally, House Bill 3773 allows for government to compete against the private sector for electric retail service. This jeopardizes private industry job growth and stifles private investment in our state.

“Every year, the State Chamber of Oklahoma opposes legislation that undermines the best interests of our members and the business community,” Warmington said. “This year is no different, and we look forward to protecting our members.